Valve.



W. E. SNAMAN.

VALVE. APPLICATION IILBD JULY 26, 1910.

997,158, [Patented Ju1 ,4,1911.

mum! Pummnm cm. WASHINGTON, n. c.

WILLIAM E. SNAMAN, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

VALVE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 4, 191 1.

Application filed July 26, 1910. Serial No. 573,892.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VVILLIAM E. SNAMAN, a citizen of the United Statesof America, residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and Stateof Pennsylvania, have in vented certain new and useful Improvements inValves, of which the following is a specification, reference being hadtherein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to float valves especially designed forcontrolling the outlet of water from flushing tanks, although the valvecan be used in connection with other structures wherein float valves areused.

The objects of my invention are to provide a hollow spherical valvularmember with a metallic jacket or casing adapted-to retain the valvularmember in an operatable shape or condition, and to provide means, aswill be hereinafter set forth for bodily moving the valvular member,thus preventing distortion ordinarily caused by elevating the valvularmember.

Further objects of the invention are to provide I a yielda-ble orflexible valvular member that can be easily procured, placed inposition, and adjusted whereby it will positively close the end of awater outlet, and to accomplish the above results by a float valve thatis durable, inexpensive to manufacture, easy to install, free from beingwater-logged and eflicient for the purposes for which it is intended.

These and such other objects as may hereinafter appear are attained bythe novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts to behereinafter specifically described and then claimed.

Reference will now be had to the drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is an elevation of the float valve, and Fig. 2 is a verticalsectional view of the same.

A float valve in accordance with my invention comprises a hollowspherical flexible valvular member 1, preferably made airtight and ofrubber. The greater part of the member 1 is covered or inclosed by ametallic jacket or casing that can be made of one piece, but which ispreferably made of two sections 2 and 3 suitably connected together. Thesection 2 is semi-spherical or dome-shaped to cover the upper half ofthe member 1, said section having the top thereof provided with a boss 4to which is suitably connected an operating rod 5 adapted to be actuatedby the ordinary mechanism used in connection with a flushing tank. Thesection 3 has its greater circle the diameter of the sphere and thesmaller circle has for its diameter practically one-half the diameter ofthe sphere, thus exposing a portion of the valvular member at the loweropen end 6 of the section 3. As heretofore stated the sections 2 and 3are connected together and it is preferable to do so by the use of screwthreads, the upper edges of the section 3 being threaded, as at 7, toscrew in the lower threaded edges 8 of the section 2, these threadsconstituting one means of detachably connecting the sections 2 and 3together. It is a fact that said sections can be made integral and thevalvular member sufliciently collapsed to be fitted in the one-piecejacket.

The exposed lower portion of the valvular member 1 is adapted to engagea seat 9 provided therefor at the upper end of a water outlet pipe 10,this pipe being illustrated in connection with the bottom 11 of aflushing tank. The metallic jacket, which can be made of aluminum or insome instances of celluloid, according to the nature of the water inwhich the same is immersed, is adapted to normally retain the valvularmember in a spherical form, prevent elongation and loss of flexibilitydue to the suction or vacuum formed in the water outlet pipe 10 when thevalvular member seats and closes the upper end of said pipe. Continualseating of the valvular member will produce a groove, annularindentation, or worn place upon the valvular member, and it is throughthe medium of the sectional jacket that the valvular member can beshifted within the jacket to present a new seating surface to engage theupper end of the water outlet pipe, thus preventing uneven wear upon thevalvular member and insuring a non-leakable connection when said memberis seated upon the water outlet ipe.

p It has been the practice heretofore in connection with sphericalflexible float valves to connect the actuating rod 5 direct to thevalve, consequently when the valve is elevated an elongation takes placethat not only distorts the valvular member, but eventually causes aleakage at the juncture of the lower end of the actuating rod and thevalvular member. I obviate the elongation of the valvular member and thepossibility of leakage through the medium .of the jacket, which permitsof the valvular member being bodily elevated without distortion orstrain upon any part thereof. It is also truein connection with hollowspherical float valves made of rubber that they often become perforatedand water-logged and are rendered useless for the purpose for which theyare intended. The water-logging of a valve equipped with a jacket isimpossible, insomuch that if the top or other portion of the valvularmember becomes perforated, the valvular member can be additionallyperforated at a point on the bottom over the outlet pipe to allow waterto drain therefrom into the outlet pipe, and even with the bottom of thevalvular member provided with an aperture and perforations on the upperportion of the valvular member, it will serve the-purpose for which itis intended.

WVhat I claim, is:

1. A float valve comprising a spherical valvular member, and a jacketcovering the greater part of said member and providing means whereby thevalvular member can be shifted to present a new seating face and furtherconstituting means to prevent distortion of the valve.

:2. A float valve comprising a spherical valvular member, and asectionaljacket covering the greater part thereof and provid ing means wherebythe valvular member can be shifted to present a new seating face andfurther constituting means to prevent distortion of the valve.

3. A float valve comprising a spherical valvular member, a sectionaljacket covering the greater part of said member and providing meanswhereby the valvular member can be shifted to present a new seating faceand further constituting means to prevent distortion of the valve, andmeans for detachably connecting the sections of said jacket together.

4. A float valve comprising a hollow spherical flexible valvular member,and a metallic jacket covering the greater part of said member andproviding means whereby the valvular member can be shifted to present anew seating face and further constituting means to prevent distortion ofthe valve.

5. A float valve comprising a hollow spherical flexible valvular member,a sectional jacket covering the greater part of said member, one of saidsections being semispherical and covering the upper half of said member,the other section covering a part of the lower half of said member saidjacket providing means whereby the valvular member can be shifted topresent a new seating face and exposing the bottom of said member, andmeans for detachably connecting said sections together.

6. A float valve comprising a rigid jacket, and a flexible valvularmember adjust-ably held in said jacket and having the lower part thereofexposed and capable of being shifted within said jacket to present a newseating face.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

WVILLIAM E. SNAMAN.

Witnesses:

KARL H. BUTLER, EVA A. MILNE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

